5 things I’d never do as a hearing aid user and expert
As a hearing aid user, you rely on your devices every day to stay connected and confident — whether that’s enjoying a conversation, watching TV or crossing a busy road.
Audiologist Louise Overton – a hearing aid user herself – shares five things she would never do as a hearing aid expert.
Louise has worked in audiology since 1999 and qualified in 2003. She founded her independent hearing care business in 2024 and has more than 20 years’ experience helping people improve their hearing and quality of life.
1. Fail to check my hearing aids are insured
People who buy hearing aids privately pay an average of £2,850 for a pair, according to a Which? survey of 3,609 people in 2025. This shows that replacing them if they get damaged, lost or stolen is costly. Your home contents insurance should cover them, but if you don't check, you may find they're not covered when you need to make a claim.
Your hearing aids are covered if they're inside your home and something happens, such as a fire or flood. However, to be insured when you're away from home, you need to add personal possessions cover.
You also need accidental damage cover to be able to claim if they're damaged due to a mishap, such as spilling a glass of water on them. Check what the single item limit is on your policy. This is the maximum amount your insurer will pay out for an individual item if you make a claim. It could be £2,000, for example. Bear in mind that hearing aids are usually treated as individual items, so if you have a pair that costs £3,000 each, one is £1,500.
Also, check that your insurance has matching sets cover. This means that if only one of your hearing aids is lost and you can’t buy the same hearing aid to replace it, you can replace both so you have a matching set.
Finally, ensure that hearing aids aren’t excluded in any part of the policy.
If your home contents policy doesn’t cover your hearing aids sufficiently, you can buy standalone hearing aid insurance.
Visit the hearing aid prices page for more information on how much they cost when purchasing privately.
2. Skip appointments with my audiologist
It can take up to a year for your brain to fully adjust to using hearing aids, so it’s important to see your audiologist regularly during this time. They can guide you through the process and adjust your hearing aids as your brain becomes accustomed to them.
Privately, you should be seen between one and two weeks after fitting for fine-tuning changes. You'll then have one or two more follow-ups after that.
If you have NHS hearing aids, you will have a follow-up appointment six to eight weeks after they're fitted, and you can arrange to be seen again if you're having problems. You should then be reassessed every three to four years.
To get the most out of your appointments, make a list of what you want to be able to do with your hearing aids, such as asking to be shown how to stream audio directly to your hearing aids from your TV or other devices.
You can read more on this in hearing aid features explained.
After you've acclimatised, you need to see your audiologist regularly to get the best out of your hearing aids over their lifetime.
Your aftercare should be tailored to you. Private hearing aid providers should see you at least once a year, or you may need to be seen more often. If you have a significant amount of earwax, you may need to be seen every three months.
Never be afraid to say if you can't hear as well as you used to, as they can be adjusted as your hearing changes.
3. Put up with hearing aids that aren't working well
If you've been using your hearing aids as advised and attending all your follow-up appointments, but you're still not satisfied with the sound, don't suffer in silence.
Research suggests that you should wear your hearing aids for at least four hours every day, even after you've acclimated.
Your hearing helps you communicate, but it also keeps you safe, allowing you to hear environmental sounds across all frequencies. Your brain needs to learn what to ignore, and it can't do this if you wear them intermittently. Like a muscle, it requires regular exercise to maintain it.
If you've been doing everything you should, but the sound is still distorted or weak, it could be that your hearing aids are malfunctioning or need cleaning. Follow your cleaning regimen and, if that doesn't help, consult your audiologist again. Never try to repair them yourself.
Need a new hearing aid? Find out which are the best hearing aid providers if you need new ones.
4. Be lax about maintaining and storing my hearing aids
As with any piece of technology, hearing aids need to be properly maintained, so avoid cutting corners with care and storage.
It may not be necessary to clean them every day, but it is essential to ensure the ends that go in your ears are wax-free to prevent infection. How often they need cleaning depends on your ears. Some people only need to do it a couple of times a week, while others need to do it daily. We recommend cleaning them with wipes specifically designed for use with hearing aids.
Check your wax traps, which prevent wax from entering the receiver or speaker, weekly and replace them as soon as you notice any build-up. If you have open-fit hearing aids, check the tube that goes from the hearing aids to your ears for blockages and clear them with a cleaning rod if necessary.
Don't store them in moist areas, such as your bathroom. If you're in an area with high humidity, you can use a dehumidifier box with drying pods or an electric dehumidifier. Never dry them with a hair dryer, oven, or microwave.
Protect them from heat, dust and water. Remove your hearing aids before showering, swimming, using a sauna or getting your hair washed at the salon. Also, avoid wearing them when you're spraying cosmetics, such as hairspray, or applying sunscreen. Don't put them in your pocket or bag unprotected.
If you have rechargeable hearing aids, it's a good idea to put them in the charger at night to charge them and keep them safe.
The batteries in non-rechargeable hearing aids can corrode if not used for a while. Therefore, if you plan to store your hearing aids for any length of time, remove the batteries and dispose of them. If a battery in one of your hearing aids leaks, leaving a white residue, stop using it and have it checked by your audiologist.
Always use specific hearing aid batteries and store spares in a cool, dark place.
5. Use cotton buds to clean wax from my ears
Earwax can cause problems with hearing aids, so if you need to remove it, never use cotton buds or any other object to do it yourself. You could damage your ear canal or eardrum, pushing wax further in. Never use ear candles, as they are not only ineffective but can also cause serious injury.
Excessive wax can cause hearing problems if it blocks your ears or if water gets in. However, if you wear hearing aids, even a small amount of wax can become a problem if it accumulates in the wrong place.
Some people never have issues with it, while others must clean their hearing aids frequently due to wax build-up. Your audiologist will be able to remove the wax safely using microsuction or electronic ear irrigation.
Find out more about earwax removal, including other ways you should never attempt to get wax out of your ears.
